Welcome to the taiga facts page! Here you will learn about organisms from the five kingdoms that live in the taiga, such as Monerans, Protists, and more.

Monerans
Monerans are single-celled organisms that have no nucleus.

Common Name- Cyanobacteria
Scientific Name- Anabaena shaerica
Habitat- almost any habitat, including bare rock and soil
Facts- Cyanobacteria is plant-like and photosynthetic. Nicknamed blue-green algae because of its color


Common Name- Myxobacteria
Scientific name- Myxococcus xanthus
Habitat- On decaying matter and in acidic soil
Facts- Myxobacteria has the largest TCS (two-component system) of any bacteria. A TCS is a large family of signalling pathways characterized by the successive transfer of phosphoryl groups.

cyanobacteria.jpg
Cyanobacteria
Myxobacteria_.jpg
Myxobacteria















Protists
Protists live everywhere that there is water, in some moist soil, and even inside of other organisms!!! Two common types of protists are heterotrophic,or the protozoan, and autotrophic, the algae. Most protists are single-celled and have a nucleus. Algae is plant-like, has a cell wall, and contains chlorophyll, whereas the protozoan has no cell wall, no chlorophyll, and is animal-like, hunting down its prey. Algae is usually found in moist conditions, thus being able to grow on land and on terrestrial habitats. The protozoans, however, live mainly in water and soil.



protozoan3.jpg
Protozoans
ALGAE2.gif
Algae













Fungi

Fungi is a multi-celled organism with no chlorophyll. Fungi absorbs it food off of a host, such as a wet log.


Common name- Puffball Fungus
Scientific name-Anachoin album
Habitat- Rotting logs
Facts- When something bumps a puffball fungus, it releases a "cloud" of tiny green spores. These spores travel for a very long time, and grow as son as they settle on land.



Common name- Cotton Mould
Scientific name- Saprolegnia declina
Habitat- Mostly in fresh water, but can survive in moist soil and brackish water.
Facts- Causes disease in fish eggs and fish. It can survive from 3 to 33 degrees Celcius. Carries zoospores at the end of each filament.
puffball01.jpg
Puffball Fungus
Saprolegnia declina
Saprolegnia declina
















Plants


Plants are multicellular organisms with chlorophyll and cell walls, and they make their food through a process called photosynthesis.




Common name- Plume Moss
Plume3.jpg
Plume Moss
Scientific name- Kingdom-Plantae
Division-Bryophyta
Class-Bryopsida
Order-Hynales
Family-Hypnaceae
Genus-Ptilium
Species-crista-caterensis
Facts- Has a reddish stalk that is 2.5 to 4cm long, and leaves that are 2mm long. It is a green to golden-green color.



bspruce.jpg
Black Spruce
Common name- Black Spruce
Scientific name-
Kingdom-Plantae
Division-Coniferophyta
Class-Pinopsida
Order-Pinales
Family-Pinaceae
Genus-Picea
Species-mariana
Facts-Live in the cooler parts of the world, such as North America and Eurasia. Can reach heights of about 25 meters! Bark is a gray-brown color, and the branches are droopy.

Common name- Silver Maple
Scientific name-
Kingdom- Plantae
silvermaple.jpg
Silver Maple
Division- Magnoliophyta
Class-Magnoliopsida
Order-Sapindales
Family-Aceraceae
Genus-Acer
Species-saccharinum
Facts- Can reach heights of 35 meters high. Bark on tree is silvery-gray. which is why it is called Silver Maple. Flowers are a bright greenish-yellow, and bloom before the leaves appear.
The fruit comes in pairs and appear to fly as they fall to the ground.







Common name-Wood Horsetail Scientific name-
Woody_Horsetail.jpg
Wood Horsetail
Kingdom-Plantae
Division-Equisetophyta
Class- Equisetopsida
Order- Equestales
Family- Equisetaceae
Genus- Equisetum
Species- sylcaticum
Facts- Heavily branched with a flat top. This horsetail lives in coll-temperature climates and in moist, nutrient poor soil. Grows to a height of 15 to 60cm tall.






Common name- Eastern Wood Fern
eastern_wood_fern.jpg
Eastern Wood Fern
Scientific name- Kingdom-Plantae Division-Pteridophyta
Class-Filicopsida
Order-Polypodiales Family-Dryopteridaceae Genus-Dryopteris
Species- campyloptera
Facts- Stands 61cm tall and bears dark blue-green fronds. When the fern matures, it forms a symmetrical vase. Lives in humus rich and moist soil and
needs some sunlight to grow


lycopodium_obscurum.jpg
Stiff Clubmoss
Common name- Stiff Clubmoss Scientific name-
Kingdom- Plantae
Division- Lycopodiophyta Class-Lycopodiopsida
Order-Lycopodiales
Family- Lycopodiceae
Genus- Lycopodium
Species- Annotinum
Facts- Lives in Ontario, Canada's boreal forest. Thrives in moist forests, heathlands,
andthickets. Stands at 5 to 30cm tall, and 1 meter long!



Common name- Eastern Bracken Fern
Ontario_wood_fern.jpg
Eastern Bracken Fern
Scientific name-
Kingdom-Plantae
Division- Filicopsida
Class- Filicopsida
Order- Filicales
Family-Dennstaedtiaceae
Genus-Pteridium
Species-aquilinum
Facts- Lives in Canada, mostly around Quebec. Grows to 1.5 meters tall, and is very common. This fern thrives in acidic soil and pine forests, including ones that frequently burn especially. It doesn't live in clusters, like many other ferns.

ANIMALS
One type of animal in the taiga is the Caribou, or Reindeer. Many large populations of wild caribou roam in Eastern Canada and Siberia, even though a lot of the caribou have disappeared. The male caribou, or bull, is typically larger than the female, weighing 100-318 kg while the female weighs 60-170 kg. One other interesting thing about the caribou is that both the female and male grow antlers. The caribou eats grass, reindeer moss, and birch and willow leaves, making it an herbivore.
woodland-caribou.jpg
Woodland Caribou

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Artiodactyla
Family-CervidaeGenus-RangiferSpecies-tarandus



Another animal found in the taiga is the cougar. This carnivorous feline lives from northern Yukon, in Canada, to the Southern Andes mountains. The habitats it prefers include dense underbrush, canyons, escarpments, rim rocks, and dense brush. This animal eats almost anything else that's meat; including caribou, white-tailed deer,mule deer, martens,
cougar.jpg
Cougar
and other small mammals are just some of them.
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Carnivora
Family-Felidae
Genus-Puma
Species-concolor



A third animal found here in the taiga is the European Pine Marten. It lives in well wooded areas in hollow trees, along with scrub covered fields. These weasel-like creatures eat birds, insects, bird eggs, small mammals, frogs, and meat. It also is known to eat honey, but not as often. This animal is classified as a carnivore.
pine_marten.jpg
Pine Marten

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Carnivora
Family-Mustelidae
Genus-Martes
Species-martes



Another animal in the taiga includes the snowshoe hare. This herbivore lives in most of Canada, in its open fields, swamplands, riverside thickets, cedar bogs, and coniferous lowlands. It eats dandelions, clover, grasses, and raspberry and blackberry shoots.
snowshoe_hare_I-763353.jpg
Snowshoe Hare

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Lagomorpha
Family-Leporidae
Genus-Lepus
Species-americanus



A reptile in the taiga is the Eastern Fox snake. It lives in Canada, Michigan, Ohio, and around lakes Erie and Huron. It reaches a length of 3-5 feet, and lives in marshlands, grass prairies, and agricultural and wooded areas adjacent to streams and brooks. This snake eats frogs, small mammals, birds, and sometimes bird eggs, making this creature a carnivore.
easternfox.jpg
Eastern Fox Snake

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum -Chordata
Class-Reptilia
Order-Squamata
Family-Colubridae
Genus-Pantherophis
Species-gloydi



An amphibian in the taiga is the Tiger salamander. It feeds on frogs, worms, insects, and even other salamanders! It lives in burrows, near ponds, lakes, and slow moving streams. It ranges from southern Canada to eastern Mexico. This carnivorous amphibian has one long range!
tiger-salamander.jpg
Tiger Salamander

Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Amphibia
Order-Caudata
Family-Ambystomatidae
Genus-Ambystoma
Species-tigrinum



Another interesting carnivore in the taiga is the gray wolf. This stealthy animal lives in nearly every part of the taiga as well as in other biomes. Studies indicate that this wolf shares a common ancestry with the domestic dog. Most wolf packs contain 2-20 wolves, but about 8 wolves is the typical size. These predatory animals will eat beaver, squirrels, snowshoe hares, moose, deer, and caribou.
gray-wolf.jpg
Gray wolf

Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class- Mammalia
Order- Carnivora
Family- Canidae
Genus- Canis
Species- lupus



A second amphibian in the taiga is the Yellow Spotted Salamander. Located in eastern Canada, as in Newfoundland, this salamander burrows underground, only using the water for breeding. It needs deep compact soil to survive. It mostly eats slugs and earthworms, but will eat almost any insect it can get, so is a carnivore.
yellow_spotted_salamander.jpg
Yellow Spotted Salamander

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Lissamphibia
Order-Caudata
Family-Ambystomatidae
Genus-Ambystoma
Species-maculatum




A second reptile in the taiga is the Common Snapping Turtle. It lives on the border of the temperate deciduous and taiga biomes, but it is in Newfoundland too. The snapping turtle lives in ponds, streams, and lakes with muddy bottoms. It will eat fish, reptiles, frogs, small mammals, birds, and aquatic plants, and is an omnivore.
Common-snapping-turtle.jpg
Common Snapping Turtle

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Reptilia
Order-Testudines
Family-Chelydridae
Genus-Chelydra
Species-serpentina

A fascinating mammal in the taiga is the white-tailed deer. This herbivore loves river valley bottomlands and low foothills, and lives throughout Canada, especially British Columbia. The deer have a red-brown coat, which turns a gray-brown as the seasons change to fall and winter. It eats fruit, leaves, acorns, grasses, mushrooms, and corn. They will also eat hay, if found in a farmyard.

Kingdom-Animalia
white_tailed_deer_buck2.jpg
buck white tail deer
whitetail_deer_lg.jpg
Doe white tail deer

Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-ArtiodactylaFamily-CervidaeGenus-Odocoileus
Species- O. Virginianus



Want to here another interesting mammal in the taiga? Well, too bad, I'm going to tell you anyways. The next animal is a moose. This is yet another herbivore and is the biggest animal in the deer family. The moose lives in Asia, just south of the tundra, most of Canada, except the Northern-most region, and in northern Europe. It eats woody plants' twigs, roots, and bark and in the summer will eat water plants, such as the water lily. In the winter the moose will mostly feed off of leaves of coniferous trees.
moosey.jpgKingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Artyodactyla
Family-Cervidae
Genus-Alces
Species-alces





Our next mammal is the Canadian Lynx. This feline reaches a height of 60cm at the shoulder, a weight of 11kg, and a length of 90cm. It has a silvery brown coat. This cat relates more to the bobcat than the Eurasian lynx! The Canadian lynx eats hares, rodents, and birds, along with the occasional deer. In some areas, the snowshoe hare is the only food for the lynx!

Kingdom-Animalia
lynx_yeah.jpg
Canadian Lynx

Phylum-Chordata
Class-Mammalia
Order-Carnivora
Family-Felidae
Genus-Lynx
Species-canadensis


A bird occuring in the taiga is the Ruffed grouse. This omnivore can be found in mixed woods and hardwood forests. It's a medium-sized bird, approximately 17" in length and eats mostly insects, but also eats fresh leaves and berries.

Kingdom-Animalia
ruffed_grouse.jpg
Ruffed grouse
Phylum-ChordataClass-Aves
Order-GalliformesFamily-PhasianidaeGenus-BonasaSpecies-umbellus

A roundworm in the taiga is the Heart Worm. It lives in the right atrium of wolves and foxes, sometimes causing death. It is a carnivore, since it feeds on animals' hearts.

Kingdom-Animalia
heartworm.jpg
Heart Worm

Phylum-?
Class-Secernentea
Order-Spirurida
Family-Onchocercidae
Genus-Dirofilaria
Species-immitis

A flatworm in the taiga is the tapeworm Echinococcus, which causes Hytadid Disease. This illness forms cists on animals' lungs and skin, because of the tapeworm larvae infecting it. This creature is a carnivore. It lives in the lynx and the wolves.
echinococcus.jpg
Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Platyhelminthes
Class-Cestoda
Order-Cyclophylidea
Family-Taenidae
Genus-Echinococcus
Species-granulosus



The second bird I will tell you about in the taiga biome is the Northern Hawk owl. This owl is found in boreal forests of Eurasia and North America. It has a rounded head with yellow eyes,and a long tail. It hunts and eats small birds and small rodents, catching them with its rapid flight.
owl.jpg
Northern Hawk Owl

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-Chordata
Class-Aves
Order-Strigiformes
Family-Strigidae
Genus-Ulula



A mollusk that lives in the taiga is the Brown Garden snail. This snail lives in British Columbia, and is a herbivore. It eats fruit, flowers, and vegetable crops.

Kingdom-Animalia
Phylum-MolluscaClass-Gastropoda
Brown Garden snail
Brown Garden snail
Order-Pulmonata

Family-Helicidae
Genus-Helix
Species-aspera




An anthropod in the taiga is the Mosquito eater. The mosquito eater is one of the only mosquitoes that doesn't suck blood, but instead consumes larvae of other mosquito species that occur in tree crevises, which makes it an herbivore. Most mosquito eaters live in forests and are bigger than the normal, blood-sucking mosquito. They are totally harmless to humans.

Kingdom-Animalia
mosquito_pic.jpgPhylum-Arthropoda
Class-Insecta
Order-DipteraFamily-Culicidale
Genus-Toxorhynchites
Species-christophi



The second mollusk in the taiga is a Keelback slug. This slug lives in and around British Columbia. It eats mushrooms and different kinds of vegetation, such as grass and leaves, and is an herbivore. All land slugs have an astonishing 27,000 teeth!


slug_photo.jpgKingdom-AnimaliaPhylum-MolluscaClass-GastropodaOrder-PulmonataFamily-LimacidaeGenus-LehmanniaSpecies-nyctelia


The second arthropod in the taiga is the Black fly. This fly is an omnivore because the males drink nectar and they suck human blood. This fly lays eggs in running water, in the Canadian Shield, where running water is common. These flies can be a pain in the neck in the summer, when they're are tons of them.

Kingdom-Animalia
Black_Fly.gif Phylum-ArthropodaClass-Insecta
Order-Diptera
Family-Simuliidae
Genus-Simulum
Species-yahense







A second roundworm that is found in the taiga is the Northern Hookworm. This hookworm lives in the small intestines of mammals, like dogs, cats, foxes, and humans all around the world. It sucks the mammal's blood and damages the mucosa, which makes it a carnivore.

Kingdom-Animalia180px-Hookworms.jpg
Phylum-Nematoda
Class-Secernentea
Order-Strongiloidae
Family-Ancylostomatidae
Genus-Uncinaria
Species-stenocephala











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